I am freakishly obsessed with this salad. Freakishly! Which is crazy since it’s just a salad. I don’t know what it is about things in a JAR that make us lose our minds, but this? I’m losing my mind. Losing it over the salad in a jar. It’s just so easy and flavorful and perfect for when you’re on the go.

Since I’m still on this thing where I’m trying to find really great lunches, I had to go for the jar option. Something to prep ahead. I rarely like lunches when they are prepped ahead (I mean, I eat them, but I’m just rather… MEH about whatever I made) but these are a GAME CHANGER.

Total game changer. I swear.

And it’s not just because it’s a salad in a jar. It’s the whole flavor thing. Trust.

Here’s the thing. I use a bit of chickpeas AND whole wheat orzo. Not a ton of either – just a little of both for that whole texture thing. Like a few tablespoons of the orzo and then a ¼ cup or so of the beans. I find that this is crucial to the texture and it makes it INSANELY satisfying. Like ridiculously satisfying.

And the best part is that YOU can be the one to decide how much you want. Do you want to use a large jar and have a little more orzo and beans for something super filling? Or do you want a smaller jar for a smaller serving size? Do you want to eat this straight out of the jar, all mixed up – or do you want to pour it over greens for a powerhouse salad that is incredible?

Your call!

The other thing! I left one of these jars in my fridge for four days. Yep, four days.

I poured it out into a bowl and ate it in my car like a nutjob (so I wouldn’t make other bad choices… aka, Starbucks drive thru) and it was still DELISH. The only thing that got semi-funky was the cucumber and I mean, it was barely soft. And that was only probably because it was stuffed between the roasted peppers and the olives!

The kicker.

The kicker is that you must put your dressing on the bottom, and you have to put something “in” it that won’t soak it all up. I went with the feta and then the chickpeas next.

This basically means that once you go to eat your salad, you have marinated feta and chickpeas.

I mean…

This just keeps getting better and better!!

Now of course, you don’t HAVE to put the dang salad in a jar. Make all the components and put them in one large salad to serve at dinner or at a party or at your own lunchtime thing. I like the idea of doing the jar prep because there ARE a lot of ingredients and components that go into this. And I wouldn’t recommended leaving any of them out because they are all super delish. They all add to the fantastic flavor.

Jars. When it comes to jars, I’m definitely partial to Weck jars. I love this medium-ish size and this larger size. Both have the clasps and I like this SO much more than the ball jars with lids that screw on.

Throw everything in there, store it in the fridge and you have the BEST LUNCH EVER.

Greek Orzo Salad in a Jar

Yield:makes 4 jars

Total Time:35 minutes

Ingredients:

dressing

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed

1/2 teaspoon dill weed

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

salad in a jar

1 cup cooked whole wheat orzo (you can use leftovers, make it the night before, etc!)

Directions:

dressingIn a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, garlic, dill, oregano, salt and pepper. Continue to whisk while streaming in the olive oil. This dressing stays great in the fridge in a sealed container for a week or so, so feel free to make a double batch if desired!

salad in a jar

If you haven’t cooked the orzo yet, make it according to the directions on the package.

Have your jars ready to go and have everything chopped and pepper before assembly. Makes it much easier!

To build the salad, add 3 or 4 tablespoons of the dressing into the bottom of the jar. To each jar, add in about 2 tablespoons feta cheese, 1/4 cup chickpeas, 2 tablespoons roasted peppers, cucumbers and olives, a handful of fresh sliced tomatoes, some pickled red onions and fresh herbs. Top that with 2 to 3 tablespoons of cooked orzo (or more if you’d like!). Cover the jar and stick it in the fridge.

When you’re ready to eat, you can pour the salad over lettuce, or throw it in a bowl itself and go to town. Have salt and pepper on hand if you need it – I find this to have enough flavor az is!